Wednesday, August 12, 2015

If I Got To Plan and Orchestrate My Life the Exact Way that I Would Want It to Go.

I'd have been born in the spring of 1958, in Sigourney, Iowa.   I would have entered my freshman year of high school in the fall of 1972 and went out for the wrestling team and theatre, where I would have excelled in both.  I would have gotten the supporting character role in a multitude of plays and a few leading roles here and there as well.   On the wrestling team I'd have qualified for the 1974, 1975 and 1976 Iowa High School State wrestling tournament placing 5th in 1975 as a junior and 3rd in 1976 as a senior.   Upon deciding where to attend college I'd have taken the advice from a beloved English teacher to put aside all of my fears and follow my dreams to attend UCLA to wrestle and earn a degree in Film and Television.   As a walk on the Bruin wrestling team, I'd make the team in 1979 as a junior, barely missing qualifying for the NCAA tournament by one match at the PAC-10 tournament.   Entering my senior year, I'd be informed that this would be the last year for the wrestling program at UCLA.  Bound and determined to represent my school well, I'd do better on the mat than I ever anticipated.  In my Film and Television classes, I'd utilize my knowledge to spread awareness around Los Angeles about UCLA's wrestling program and why it is important to save the sport.  I'd go into the PAC-10 tournament unseeded and upset my way to qualification.    Then as the NCAA tournament, I'd again upset my way to an All American finish, finishing in 8th place for the Bruins.    I'd graduate with a degree in 1980, feeling that I did all I could to help save the wrestling program.

Looking for work around Los Angeles, I'd meet and befriend a group of bodybuilders,  learning a multitude about bodybuilding while getting a job at their gym and working odd jobs around Los Angeles, while being given a small but comfortable room at the gym to stay in.   I'd be busy trying to get work as a writer and as an actor, while going back to UCLA to attend theatre events and roam the grounds that used to be the wrestling room.   I'd also drive across town to attend wrestling dual meets at East Los Angeles Community College.  While searching for love, I never quite find it because while I'm popular with the ladies, not wanting to get married or have children is often a deal breaker.

One day I try out for a role on "The Incredible Hulk" television series and find myself getting a rather large part.  It's my first break as an actor.   I form an immediate bond with Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno and Jack Colvin.   They all think I'm a terrific guy and really enjoy working with me a lot.   While my character was supposed to only be in two episodes, everyone enjoys me so much that they want to make me a reoccurring role.   Suddenly, I'm a Hollywood actor.     One day while discussing the show, I take a script I've written for an episode and show Bill.   Bill thinks it is a magnificent idea for an episode and runs it past the producers.  They say that they love it too and that it will be made into an episode.

During the filming of the episode in front of a live studio audience, I perform some of my own stunts that catches the eye of a professional wrestling promoter.   After the filming is complete he comes up to me and ask me if I've ever thought of a career in professional wrestling.  I tell him that I was an amateur wrestler, an All American for UCLA and that I grew up watching Bruno Sammartino on television and have always been a fan.   He tells me that I have the look for it and more importantly the personality for it and he'd like me to train with him.   I tell him that my commitment first and foremost is to "The Incredible Hulk" and other acting/writing opportunities in Hollywood, and as long as he understands that I'd like to train with him.

In his territory that runs all throughout California, into Nevada and Utah,  I become a masked professional wrestler, popular amongst fans who comes in and out of the territory depending on when I have work on "The Incredible Hulk."    About two years into the gig, I learn that "The Incredible Hulk" is going to be canceled and I take on more of a full time gig working for the promoter, making more money and eventually buying out the gym I had worked at, having the two guys that did own it operate it while I continued my pro wrestling career.

A few months later Bill Bixby phones me and tells me he has this idea for a major motion picture that he wants to direct.  He wants Lou to star in it and he wants me to write it.   I sit down with Bill and Lou as we bounce ideas off one another and agree to write the script.   We get funding and begin shooting and the film ends up being a major box office hit.   I'm now financially set for life, as I make improvements to the gym I own in town and pour a significant amount of money into the wrestling territory I work for to make it five times as big and powerful as it once was.

I then go to UCLA and speak with the president and the athletic director.   I give them a proposal to reinstate the wrestling program and they agree to my idea.   As it becomes news around Los Angeles and around the country that Hollywood actor/pro wrestler helps to reinstate wrestling program at UCLA, other coaches and wrestlers from around the country start to mail and call me asking for help to reinstate and/or save their wrestling programs.   As I'm getting work as an actor and as a writer in Hollywood, I decide put my professional wrestling career on hold while I work on helping to popularize collegiate wrestling and help save programs and get programs started.   I become the savior of collegiate wrestling.

After years in Hollywood as an actor and as a writer,  I get the unfortunate news that my good friend Bill Bixby is dying.    I stay by his side while he passes away, realizing that I owe so much to him for the way my life turned out.   Had it not been for that chance encounter landing that role on "The Incredible Hulk" all those years ago and meeting him, my life could have turned out a lot different. 

I decided to write a book on my life that I entitle, "The Incredible Bill Bixby: The man who opened up the door of opportunity for me" that speaks about how Bill helped me to succeed in life.   My Hollywood agent introduces me to a writing agent who like me has no desire for kids and feels that marriage isn't necessary to love some one.   My book is published, it is a huge success on the New York Time's best seller list and I fall desperately in love with my agent.  

I continue to act and write in Hollywood, as I come up with an idea for a television show that I pitch to a group of executives that love the idea.  The show is entitled, "Mr. Green" a show about a group of kids who have an eccentric and weird neighbor who is consistently doing strange things.   The show is an instant hit on primetime, as I write a significant number of the episodes. 

After a 10 year run, the show is canceled and I have desire to get out of Hollywood and spend the rest of my life back in my hometown of Sigourney, Iowa traveling about the country with my woman attending amateur wrestling events, pro wrestling events and theatre productions while speaking to students at various colleges, universities and schools.  

After having a very happy, satisfying life, one night in 2033, at the age of 75, I lay down to go to sleep and I never wake up again.    My will states that part of my money will go towards taking care of my significant other and family members specified in my will and the other part of my money will go towards helping wrestling teams to be saved and started throughout the country.

Ah! What was I thinking! I forgot one of the most important things. I would also spend a significant amount of time at animal shelters, playing with dogs and cats and providing medicine, medical care and food to them. Part of my will would be dedicated to these places to take care of cats and dogs.

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